# How to go about growing my CC stash?



## Bernardini (Nov 14, 2013)

Being a newb to the CC world and hearing how the majority of CC’s really shine with age, I was wondering how some of the “veterans” accumulated a stash of aged cigars. Did you slowly accumulate your own over time? Attempt to purchase some “vintage” boxes? Etc.

I see myself making CC’s a much bigger part of my smoking rotation. I was thinking that I should slowly keep adding to my collection, say a box or two a month if the funds allow, building a nice rotation of aged smokes. My problem is, honestly, I find it hard not to smoke something ROTT. Do I need to just grow up and learn patience?

Another question, which should probably be it’s own post. Are there certain marcas you absolutely wouldn’t even think about touching for 3-5 years?

Thanks for the input


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## thebigk (Jan 16, 2013)

Plenty of sun and water 

Serious you need buy three times the amount you smoke


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Recent production smoke very well with very little time.
Most petite coronas smoke very well ROTT.
That being said smoke some put the rest away and pretend you don't have them.


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## GoJohnnyGo (Nov 19, 2011)

If you buy 1-2 boxes a month you'll have a nice stash in no time! I don't buy vintage from vendors because of the mark up and there is no guarantee of how the cigars have been stored. 

Honestly, don't worry too much about age at first. My only rule is to let boxes sit at least 1 year from there box code. This significantly helps avoid the first sick period. After that its less predictable. Most boxes you get will have at least a few months on them at its very common for them to be 1-2 years old already. I've gotten 3-4 yr old boxes many times. 

Typically it's five (ten for some guys) years and out that cigars really start to benefit (assuming you like aged habanos) from aging. 

Cohiba is the one marca that stands out as consistently being said to need five+ years to really shine.


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## dvickery (Jan 1, 2000)

andy

buy more than you smoke ... simple as that .

it isnt a sprint ... it is a lifelong marathon and such fun .

typically ... i used to smoke 150 cigars a year ... then i retired 3 years ago and now smoke about 200 to 250 cigars a year .

i told you that ... so i can tell you this .

i buy/bought about 500 cigars a year ... or my stash increased/increases by about 1000 cigars every 3 years ... dont sound like much but do it for 20 years .

patience grasshopper
derrek


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## Laynard (Oct 10, 2013)

Everyone nailed it with the buy more than you smoke advice. Buy some boxes, smoke a few, but keep smoking your NCs to dwindle the population. I buy about a box of CCs a month but I only smoke one or two CCs a week, and the rest of the time I smoke NCs. This way, I work on getting the ratio to where I want it, I stock up on CCs, those CCs get some downtime, and I get to smoke some delicious NCs. Win-win.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Besides the good advice above, sometimes I've been surprised by getting boxes in with dates of '09-'12.
Those with just a bit of age but not considered vintage have gone a long way in keeping my hands out of/off of the stuff I'm letting sit for a while.


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## thegunslinger (Aug 3, 2012)

Buying a box a month for the last 2 years has quickly built me up a nice stock. Occasionally you get lucky and get a box that has a year or two of age on it. And sometimes you might buy something like an ER or LE that's from a few years back. That's what I've been doing along with still smoking 50% NCs that I like. 

Another couple years and I'll have a good amount of CCs hitting that "sweet spot" of 5 years aged. But I don't even need to wait that long. Some of my Cohibas and Bolivars that are only 2-3 years old are damn near irresistible right now and I may have trouble not smoking them all before that point. Not all Cubans these days need to be aged to enjoy.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

What's the hurry? Enjoy recent production and buy more than you smoke.

In a few years you'll have some nicely aged sticks, and will be in a better position to enjoy them.

I smoke 4-500 a year, buy a few hundred more than that, and have storage issues. Even though I have a humidor built into my house that should have capacity of 5000+.

One other suggestion. It sounds crazy, but give cigars away to friends.

The only time I have enough cigars is when I'm sharing them with friends.


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## UTKhodgy (Jan 4, 2012)

Buy a cab of Party Shorts. That gives you 2 CCs a week for 25 weeks and during those 25 weeks you can keep your hands off most of your other stash. Think of it as a free half year of aging for the small price of a bunch of great Party Shorts.


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## UTKhodgy (Jan 4, 2012)

piperdown said:


> Besides the good advice above, sometimes I've been surprised by getting boxes in with dates of '09-'12.
> Those with just a bit of age but not considered vintage have gone a long way in keeping my hands out of/off of the stuff I'm letting sit for a while.


Seeing less of the way back dates on box lists lately, but I will say that I have had similar luck...
1st box of Monte 4s ordered in NOV13 and I get JUL11.
1st box ever ordered in JUN13 and I get ABR12.
1st box of HUC1s ordered in MAY14 and I get MAY11 (granted, there are a lot of HUC1s from 11 out there right now).


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## LGHT (Oct 12, 2009)

Back in the late 90's taxes went through the roof on cigars and as a result I figured out I could get CC's for just as much and some times less than premium cigars after all the tax hikes. I picked up a few boxes because I'm so cheap and found a few buddies who also enjoyed them. As a result a "club" was formed and we would by about 6-7 boxes a month and divide them up. After a year or so of this prices went up even more and of course I thought wow I could have saved a ton of money if I stocked up last year. I didn't make that mistake again and I basically dropped out of the club and kept the 6-7 boxes a month for myself. FYI I still have cigars from that time and I paid less than 1/2 of what they would cost me now. So I guess being a cheap bastard has it's advantages!


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## Jordan23 (May 25, 2012)

bpegler said:


> What's the hurry? Enjoy recent production and buy more than you smoke.
> 
> In a few years you'll have some nicely aged sticks, and will be in a better position to enjoy them.
> 
> ...


Great post.

Good advice in this thread.

I buy more Cubans about 7 to 3 now. But I smoke more non cubans at a rate of 8 to 2. So I'm buying less than I smoke. Its even easier if you enjoy NCs still and have a sizable stash.

Also, follow your own taste. I've had plenty of fresh Cubans that I've loved. Enjoy the ride!


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## OnePyroTec (Dec 11, 1997)

dvickery said:


> andy
> 
> buy more than you smoke ... simple as that .
> 
> ...


And one of these days I need to verify your claims in person lane:


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

I have been lucky.....there are few Habanos that I don't enjoy, and if I don't love one today, it doesn't mean I won't in a few years. My preferences have changed quite a bit over the last few years. For me, when I find a box I enjoy today, I usually buy several......after a few yrs, you will be able to smoke 5 yr old cigars daily.
My goal was/is to have 10 yrs worth or 10 yr old cigars...then I am done.
Could take a life time


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## CeeGar (Feb 19, 2007)

bpegler said:


> What's the hurry? Enjoy recent production and buy more than you smoke.
> 
> In a few years you'll have some nicely aged sticks, and will be in a better position to enjoy them.
> 
> ...


This is all you need to know.


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## Bernardini (Nov 14, 2013)

Thanks for all the great responses. I figured the CC path was more of a long journey. I will continue to slowly accumulate, smoke what I like, and enjoy the ride! 

I don’t know why I thought there might be a “shortcut” to the process. I guess it’s just me; I am the same guy who tried to lose weight while still drinking IPA’s and eating copious amounts of pizza. :drinking:


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## UTKhodgy (Jan 4, 2012)

asmartbull said:


> I have been lucky.....there are few Habanos that I don't enjoy, and if I don't love one today, it doesn't mean I won't in a few years. My preferences have changed quite a bit over the last few years. For me, when I find a box I enjoy today, I usually buy several......after a few yrs, you will be able to smoke 5 yr old cigars daily.
> My goal was/is to have 10 yrs worth or 10 yr old cigars...then I am done.
> Could take a life time


1. As a general comment for the thread, I don't smoke NCs anymore unless I am with others and have to pull a cigar from my office humidor or I am offered one/taken to a B&M.

2. I like bull's idea.


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## Lrbergin (Jun 14, 2012)

Everybody pretty much nailed it already but I'll say that you picked a good time to get into Habanos. Recent production cigars have been smoking really well young. This wasn't always the case so just enjoy it. I've smoked a lot of 13' cigars that have been fantastic. Just tonight I smoked HdM EE from 14' that was amazing. There is no hard rule that habanos have to be aged to be good. Just smoke lots of them and find out for yourself.


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## US2China (Sep 18, 2012)

One easy way- buy only boxes, and buy double what you want unless it is for aging/special occasions. My go to is the monte 2 so I buy two boxes every time it goes on sale or if I start getting low. I usually through in another box for aging.

If it is something you don't like, stick it in the back of you humidor. By the time you find it in a few years, then you may like it. 

You can always trade and gift items that are not to your liking. I have been giving away my NCs to others because I have not touched them for years.

Cohibas need 3+ years, 5 or more is ideal. I like monte 2s with 1-2 years, not more than 5 years.


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## dvickery (Jan 1, 2000)

US2China said:


> You can always trade and gift items that are not to your liking.


is it just me ... or does anyone else think this is not very "brotherly" ???

i seldom "gift" anything but my best cigar ... trade with a "caveat" if i think they are any less than stellar cigars .

sorry ... in a crabby monday mood .
derrek


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## magoo6541 (Mar 9, 2014)

Lrbergin said:


> Everybody pretty much nailed it already but I'll say that you picked a good time to get into Habanos. Recent production cigars have been smoking really well young. This wasn't always the case so just enjoy it. I've smoked a lot of 13' cigars that have been fantastic. Just tonight I smoked HdM EE from 14' that was amazing. There is no hard rule that habanos have to be aged to be good. Just smoke lots of them and find out for yourself.


I completely agree that habanos do not HAVE to be aged to be enjoyed. I think it's a little silly to say that certain brands require a minimum aging period before they can be smoked. If I were a multi millionaire and had a walk in humidor, I would have boxes upon boxes to choose from and to age. Most of us don't have anything close to that and probably never will have anything like that. I'm lucky when I get a box in that's already aged a couple years. Do cigars benefit from aging? Of course they do. Just like a good wine or a good craft beer, cigars will get better with age.

My latest box is HdM EE from April of 14. I was concerned that they would be in their sick period but they're perfectly fine. I had one this morning and it was a perfect paring with my coffee.

To answer the OPs question and to stay on topic. I've been working all the OT I can and about to start another P/T job. I'm not putting 100% of that money toward cigars but a good portion of it will go to cigars. There's many cigars that can be bought for around $4 per cigar when you purchase by the box. Buy some of those along with a box of nicer cigars and stick those away while you enjoy the cheaper options.


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